As R. Buckminster Fuller said, “There is no such thing as genius, some children are just less damaged than others.” The word “genius” comes from the same Latin root as “congenital”, or “present from birth”. According to Dr. Detlef Reis, founder of Thinkergy, a Bangkok based global consulting and training company, “genius” originally referred to a spirit that guided you throughout your life. Those who did unusually well were thought to have an unusually strong guiding spirit, and over time the term “genius” came to refer to exceptional abilities, and to the people who possessed them.

In this column, we often discuss purpose, passion and talent and living in alignment with all the above. So it begs the question, what is your core genius? Is there one thing, anything that you might be better at than anyone else? Do you have a particular talent or ability that is the work you do when you are in “flow”? It could simply be any skill or activity at which you excel.

Our friend R. Buckminster Fuller, quoted above, also went on to say that “Everyone is born a genius, but the process of living de-geniuses them.”

One of the best parts of my work is helping people find their genius within. Most of us have self-limiting beliefs that keep us from being able to see or declare ourselves a genius. Would you be willing to consider that being pushed into conforming to society, that life has tried to “de-genius” you? Don’t let it. Brake away the layers of covering that are hiding the genius within.

In 1957, a group of Thai monks were informed that due to major construction of a new port and highway, their shrine, a huge clay Buddha was to be relocated.

In the process of moving the clay Buddha, it began to crack. With a storm brewing, the monks covered the Buddha with a tarp on poles to keep it dry overnight. During the night, the head monk decided to check on the Buddha. With a flashlight, he walked around the huge clay figure shining his light on the cracks. He saw in the crack, a shiny reflecting of light – clay doesn’t reflect shining light!

He began carefully chipping at the clay around the crack only to discover that the clay was only a covering, over a solid gold Buddha. Well you can only imagine there must have been some confusion and excitement among the monks!

After much research, the pieces of the story were put together. The Golden Buddha was the cherished responsibility of a group of monks several centuries earlier. Learning the Burmese army was headed their way and the monks covered their Buddha with 8 to 12 inches of clay to make it appear worthless and protect it from discovery. However, the Burmese army apparently killed all of the monks and The Golden Buddha was lost to history until 1957.

We should remember that there is a Golden Buddha inside each of us. It is hidden away under layers of clay that slowly forms throughout our lives. When we are born, we start life as a Golden Buddha.

With the right work, the Golden Buddha within each of us can be revealed in its full glory once again. Life shrouds us in clay, we are told stories and we make up our own stories about ourselves and about how the world works.As a baby, we fear only falling and loud noises. Everything else is based on stories and perceptions we made up.It’s time to break through the clay and allow our true natures to be revealed. It’s time to discover your true genius within. Think about the word dis-cover, literally says to un-cover.

I will be offering another local one-day workshop which deals with discovering our purpose and passion and more importantly, overcoming the limiting beliefs that keep us from setting and achieving much more exciting goals in business, relationships, health and more.Visit my website for more information.